Wanda Sykes Staved Off Breast Cancer With A Double Mastectomy

I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it's scary, comedienne Wanda Sykes revealed in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, airing Monday, Sept. 26.

The 47-year-old made the startling announcement, and spoke on her experiences going in for a breast reduction in February when she first got the unfortunate news.

I had real big boobs and I just got tired of knocking over stuff. Every time I eat - oh lord, Sykes told Ellen. I'd carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore so it was time to have a reduction.

Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer may consider preventive mastectomy as a way of decreasing their risk of this disease, according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Because of the long history of cancer on her mother's side of the family, Sykes opted to have a bilateral mastectomy. I had both breasts removed, because now I have zero chance of having breast cancer.

A surgical mastectomy involves the removal of one or both breasts in an effort to prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer.

I had the choice of, you can go back every three months and get it checked. Have a mammogram, MRI every three months just to see what it's doing, she explained.

But, I'm not good at keeping on top of stuff. I'm sure I’m overdue for an oil change and a teeth cleaning already.

The federal institute noted that existing data suggests that preventive mastectomies may reduce the chance of developing breast cancer by about 90 percent in moderate- and high-risk women.

But no one can be certain that this procedure will protect an individual woman from breast cancer.

Sykes admitted on the show that she wasn't sure if she should open up about her experience.

I was like, I don't know, should I talk about it or what? How many things could I have? I'm black, then Lesbian. I can't be the poster child for everything, the comedienne said.